Singaporean businessman involved in Lee Chestnutt scandal

Following the report last week that Briton Lee Chestnutt is to remain trapped in Thailand although charges against him were dropped, a Singaporean businessman has told the same story.

An article published by the Straits Times tells that Jaffrey Maharan’s legal dispute with his former landlord which had kept him in Thailand for three full years had been resolved in his favour and that he could legally leave the country. As with Mr Chestnutt’s tale of woe, he had been accused of stealing furniture and damaging their rented house.

The identical story continued in the same manner when Mr Maharan’s lawyer requested the documentation which would allow his client to leave Thailand, he was told his accuser had requested the Supreme Court for 60 days to file another appeal and that he would have to stay. His lawyer has advised him the proceedings will take at least two years to come to court.

According to Mr Marahan, he and an unnamed partner, presumably Mr Chestnutt, had moved to Bangkok in 2006, transferring their existing furniture export business to their business stock’s source country. They rented a house in 2007, under an agreement for its use as an office and storage unit for furniture as well as a residence.

The unfurnished property, for which they were paying rent of $2,000 per month, was in poor condition when they moved in, so they renovated it. In 2009, the business went downhill in 2009 due to the financial crisis, and they moved to a cheaper property, at which time the former landlord made a police complaint and both men were arrested and charged, although they were later exonerated.

Both men are now living off their families in Britain and Singapore, as their business has failed and they are not allowed work permits. Both are shocked that they must prove their innocence again, and are wishing that they had never come to Thailand.